What are you guys grillin' with?

This is a discussion on What are you guys grillin' with? within the Off Topic & Humor Discussion forums, part of the The Back Porch category; I think its safe to say that most of us here on this forum could safely be called, "gear heads". I'm sure some of you ...

What are you guys grillin' with?

I think its safe to say that most of us here on this forum could safely be called, "gear heads". I'm sure some of you guys might even be pretty handy with some charcoal and a set of tongs. So with that in mind, what are you grillin' with?

I'm really itching to get a little charcoal grill and doing a fair amount of grilling this Summer. Who says you can't grill during the week?

The only problem is, I'm completely clueless about grills so I did a little bit of research last night. All I knew is that I wanted something like a Weber Kettle grill. I knew Weber made good grills but I didn't know the kind I wanted is called a "Kettle", etc. There's actually some pretty good videos on YouTube with lots of tips on grilling.

What kind of tips about grilling would you give to a noobie like me?

From my research, I found out the various differences between the "Silver" and "Gold" series in the Weber Kettle line up. Anyone here have experience with either of these models?

I also found out that there's a canister you can get that can help with igniting charcoal. The charcoal goes in the top portion and then in the bottom portion, there's a place where you can load newspaper. You ignite the paper, let it set for about 15 minutes and then you're good to go. It costs about $15.00, seems reasonable to me.

I'd say you're already halfway there by choosing charcoal over gas. I finally broke down and bought a Weber Little Smokie Silver that suits my needs perfectly. Being single the full sized models just didn't make any sense for me. I had an old one that I had intended on using this year to replace my little cast iron hibatchi I've been using for the past 20 years or so but someone deprieved me of the opportunity so I opted for the smaller cousin and haven't looked back.

Lodge makes a great little hibachi for about $100,solid,well built,retains heat very well.This unit is just for grilling because it has no lid for smoking or slow cooking,uses small amounts of charcoal and lights fast,great for weeknight grilling.

if you are looking at the kettle type,the Weber is a nice starter grill.
My advice for new grillers,start a bit cheaper,move up later,after you find your style!

I guess I'd be opposite of Hank Hill, nothing against propane, but I'm a charcoal/wood guy. Old habit for me, I guess because I began grilling before outside propane stuff got popular. I do believe that Weber makes good stuff.

I can't think of the brand of my grill, I've had it a long time, it was made in Texas and it's just a simple welded offset dropped firebox.

Speaking of simple, for some reason I bought a cheap electric roaster oven, it was about $50 at Bass Pro or Target. I plug it in outside, take a whole chicken put LOTS of some sort of poultry rub on it, set it inside the little roaster and pour about a cup of water in with it. Cover it, open the vent at the top a little, turn it on about 175-200 F and let it cook for about six hours. When finished, I find it hard to get the chicken out because it it's ready to fall apart, it's very tender/moist. I would think pretty healthy too. It's not exactly grilling, but it's easy and the results are great.

Out of convenience (I grill 3 or 4 times a week), I use a grill hooked up to the house's natural gas line (never have to switch out a tank), and throw wood chips on there. However, I've decided that when this one wears out, I'm going to step up to a Green Egg.

Whatever you buy, don't fall for the cheap Chinese knockoff of the Weber grills that all the big box stores all carry. Spend the extra money and get the real thing, it will last a lot longer. I regret buying my last grill. It starting falling apart the second season and didn't include a lot of the little extras that you don't think about when you are looking at it in the store.

1. Buy name brand charcoal. It leaves much less grease on the inside of the grill.

2. On a Weber, use plenty of charcoal. It'd easier to get a hot fire and cool it down than it is to get a small fire and heat it up. Just close the vents and the lid, the fire cools down.

3. Talk to a restaurant, and get some of the big empty cans they get vegetables in. Then do the same thing that DefConGun said above. Free beats $15 any day! As a matter of fact, that's what the local Boy Scout Ranch uses to start the fires in their cook stoves.

4. As soon as that Weber's fire goes out and it cools down, empty it out and hose it out. The old ash collects moisture and holds it in. That makes the grill start rusting.

IF you can afford it, look at the Big Green Egg - The Ultimate Cooking Experience , it is extremely versatile. If you are just starting, I don't think you can go too far wrong with a Weber kettle or a good iron hibachi, but they are a little more limited in use. I have two BGE's now, and only use the gas grill for stuff like burgers or hotdogs. The Egg can smoke at low temps, grill, and bake- pizzas are insanely good. The ceramic body holds heat very well. The BGE does NOT use briquets, they use natural lump charcoal, which tastes way better. (I mean the food does, I don't eat the charcoal.) I'm still a bit of a novice, but I have yet to feed any leftovers to my dog. I have some decent resources online if you go the BGE way, and I know a couple guys from facebook who are really inspirational cooks and pitmasters I get ideas and advice from.

All I knew is that I wanted something like a Weber Kettle grill. I knew Weber made good grills but I didn't know the kind I wanted is called a "Kettle", etc.

I have two Weber Kettle style grills. A big one (22"?) that I've had for about 25 years and still use for the "big" meals, and a smaller one that will actually sit on the patio table for the quick jobs like burgers and dogs where you are going to be done with grilling in about a half hour.

I also found out that there's a canister you can get that can help with igniting charcoal. The charcoal goes in the top portion and then in the bottom portion, there's a place where you can load newspaper. You ignite the paper, let it set for about 15 minutes and then you're good to go. It costs about $15.00, seems reasonable to me.

Think Weber calls it a "Chimney". I have one and use it all of the time, it eliminates the need starter fluid. Also a tip since it sounds like you are heading toward charcoal, DON'T use any of that quick light stuff, I always thought when I tryed that stuff it left an aftertaste in the food... I used one small bag of that crap - ONCE!

Before this turns into a charcoal/gas war,they both can be great but also have drawbacks.
Now for my 2cents...Heat is heat.It does not matter if the heat source is gas,charcoal,solar,geothermal or radiation,the flavor comes from the spices,smoke and the meat itself.
I have tried most fuel sources and have come to one conclusion.It ain't the grill,it's the skill.
I've had awful meats cooked on $12,000 backyard kitchen/grills,and some of the finest meals imaginable cooked on a exaust manifold of a D-6 dozer.
Keep it simple,don't rush good grillin'.walk before you run.

The medium size Weber kettle works great for me. Mine is about 5 years old and still running great, and I use it almost every week. The chimney is an excellent tool and I still kick myself for not having gotten one sooner. Gets the charcoal going faster and heated evenly.
I will engage the propane vs. charcoal debate. Charcoal is better because it delivers more flavor, and it allows you to position the heating source in many ways. For example, if you want to grill pizza, you position the charcoals in a large donut shaped ring. Can't do that with a gas grill.